It may be that Florida is shrinking (the state is experiencing out-migration for the first time in decades) but it’s likely to come back. And like California and other large states, Florida has the opportunity to be a leader and trendsetter in many areas of government. Given the massive development the state has already experienced, the present downturn may be the perfect time for Florida to figure out what “smart growth” really means.
Miller-McCune, a thoughtful grab-bag of a magazine, this month features an in-depth report by Hal Herring on the problem of Florida’s panhandle, where a massive timber company, St. Joe’s, owns huge swaths of environmentally sensitive land. The land is “home to a complex matrix of biodiversity” and its rivers “that flow through . . . to the Gulf [of Mexico] are among the nation’s cleanest, creating some of the richest fisheries in the planet.”
St. Joe’s has become more of a real estate development company than a timber company. It clearly takes environmental issues seriously, particularly since the new towns and communities it is building are sold with their natural setting as a key feature. St. Joe’s uses larger setbacks from rivers and the Gulf than Florida requires. But land use of any kind in this area is fraught with danger for the pristine waters and unique wildlife of the area. And many developers don’t share the record St. Joe’s has shown to date. As Herring writes, “there is simply no regulatory regime or government entity capable of protecting the public’s interests in the face of a politically powerful and sophisticated landholding giant like the St. Joe company.”
This situation in Florida’s Panhandle — a national natural resource as well as a jewel for the people of the Sunshine State — seems appropriate for urgent federal involvement and a larger national conversation. With national parks being pointed up as an area where the government works well, what about a Panhandle National Park that all Americans can enjoy?
Topics:
Dept. of the Interior,
Environment,
Environmental Protection Agency,
Free Agency,
Government in My Backyard (GIMBY)
Tags:
Florida,
Hal Herring,
New Ruralism,
Panama City,
Panama City/Bay County Airport,
Panhandle,
St. Joe’s,
WaterColor,
watershed